Whispered Promises (21 page)

“You're mine, Caitlin. You've always been mine. You'll always be mine,” he whispered hoarsely.

She knew Dex's words of possession were the closest to anything endearing he would give her. He kissed her then, long and hard. The rhythmic mating of their tongues matched his every thrust as his hips drove repeatedly into her, flooding her with intense pleasure. She clung to him as powerful rapturous waves increased and touched her body. She shuddered, clinging to him, moaning his name again and again as he filled her completely.

With one final thrust, Dex cried out her name in his own shattering release, exploding inside of her. They continued to shudder together uncontrollably. He pulled her closer, and Caitlin automatically locked her legs around him drawing him, even further into herself.

Ever so slowly, the stormy reuniting of their bodies left them both weak with passion spent, but at the same time, overwhelmed, consumed and pleasurably satisfied.

In each other's arms, they were home.

The glitter of sunlight filtered through the room and cast its radiant beam upon the man sleeping peacefully in the bed. Caitlin lay propped up on her elbow, totally absorbed in watching Dex sleep. How had she turned her back on such a gorgeous brother? How could she have given up a man who was filled with so much passion? Even in sleep his entire being called out to her, making her ache for him, making her blood burst into flames. If only he loved her as much as she loved him. If only he trusted her as much as she trusted him. If only he would have as much faith in her as she had in him.

Leaning over, she planted small kisses on the sweeping lashes that fanned his cheeks, on his firm cheekbone and the angular jaw covered with a bit of morning stubble. She then leaned down and kissed his chest. It had been so long since she had felt so alive, so contented and so tired.

Their hunger had been profound. It had mounted and demanded release over and over again. All through the night and early morning Dex had made love to her. Their lovemaking had been unlimited. It had been deeply passionate, and it had been wonderful. His musky, masculine scent still clung to her body.

Caitlin gently eased from the bed. When she got to her feet she winced at the unexpected soreness, proof of the intensity of their lovemaking. She took a deep breath and headed for the bathroom knowing the soreness would remain for a day or two. But its presence would be a welcome reminder of a night spent making love to her husband.

As she began to dress after her shower she knew they had crossed one hurdle, but there were still more to overcome. Her love for him would give her the strength to endure the days ahead.

Dex was awakened by the sound of his daughter's laughter floating lazily through his hazy mind. Shifting his head on the pillow, he remembered his dream. It was strange how dreams could almost seem real.

Suddenly the reality of last night struck him. He came wide awake. It had not been a dream. The intimacy he and Caitlin had shared had been real. The heat wave of passion totally consuming them had been mind shattering and earthmoving. He had kissed her senseless, and she'd encouraged him with her groans of pleasure and her shivers of delight.

Dex closed his eyes, remembering her beneath him. Her silken thighs wrapped firmly around his waist in a tight grip while he stroked the fire within her. Each time he'd entered her, she'd arched against him, pulling him deeper and deeper inside of her. He had tried being gentle. He had tried being tender. But his control had faltered. She had returned his tempestuous, intense and moving passion, making him burn for her. It was as if she had deliberately tried stealing his soul, his mind and…his heart.

Never had he felt such stirring, inspiring and stimulating surrender. He felt completely drained yet totally renewed. As he lay there, he knew the project he'd lost with Remington Oil wasn't important. What was important to him was Caitlin. She was the only thing that mattered.

Minutes later Dex found himself whistling in the shower. Anxious to see his wife and daughter, he finished showering and hurried with his dressing. Slipping into a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved knit shirt, he walked briskly down the hall and stairs toward the kitchen where his daughter's laughter could be heard.

The scene that awaited him took his breath away. Caitlin was sitting at the table with Jordan. Their heads were close together as they excitedly put together a puzzle.

Dex found himself staring at them. He released a long, deep sigh of both pleasure and satisfaction that caught his daughter's attention.

“Daddy!” Jordan's bright, cheery smile indicated she was very glad to see him. He would never get tired of seeing her happy. Dex walked over to her and picked her up. He gave her a gentle yet fierce hug and at the same time he placed a warm kiss on his wife's lips.

“How's Daddy's princess today?” he asked Jordan who'd been so absorbed in giving her father a hug that she completely missed her parents' kiss.

A dimple formed in Jordan's chin. “Fine, Daddy. Mommy said I couldn't wake you. She said you needed to sleep and you were tired.” She gazed up at him curiously. “Were you?”

Dex caught Caitlin's eyes. “Yes, Jordan. Daddy was very tired.”

“Why?”

Dex cast Caitlin a deep smile. “I worked very hard yesterday, especially last night.”

“Oh,” Jordan replied. She then shifted positions in her father's arms. “Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?”

“Will you build me a tree house just like this house?”

Dex smiled. “Yes, but I don't think you'll need one quite as big as this one.”

Jordan nodded. “Will Uncle Clayton help you?”

“Yes, I think he'll help if we ask him.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“May I have a horse to keep in the backyard?”

Dex laughed. “I don't know if our neighbors will like that very much, Jordan. But I'll get you a horse, and since your uncle Justin's yard is so much bigger than ours, and he doesn't have any neighbors, I think we should let him keep it for us. How's that?”

“Who's Uncle Justin?”

“He's your other uncle whom you haven't met yet. He's real nice and has a little boy name Vincent who has a horse, too. In fact Uncle Justin has a lot of horses at his ranch, and I'd bet he'll be glad to take care of yours. I'll take you to see him often so you can learn to ride.”

A smile covered Jordan's face. She was completely satisfied with her father's answer. “Daddy?”

“Yes, Jordan?”

“Can I have a baby sister or a baby brother?”

“Do you really want one?”

Dex chuckled as his daughter's head eagerly bobbed up and down. He met Caitlin's gaze again. The dark circles under her eyes reminded him of their night together and how little sleep she'd gotten. Her words that she was not on any type of birth control came back to him. “I think that's possible one day, Jordan.”

“Do I have any more uncles, Daddy?”

“Yes, you do,” Dex answered, thinking of his two brothers-in-law. “Why do you ask?”

“Since Uncle Clayton is going to help build my tree house, and Uncle Justin is going to keep my horse for me, will my other uncles help you and Mommy get our new baby?”

Dex's laughter filled the room. “No. That's something Mommy and I can handle all by ourselves. We won't need any help. No help at all.”

D
ex spent the following week in total awe of how wonderful Caitlin felt in his arms every night, and how right she felt in his life. They were taking each day one at a time, and so far, everything was going smoothly. She had turned his house into a home, and had made his infrequent smile a permanent fixture on his face.

The sensual attraction between them had not lessened any, nor was their lovemaking confined strictly to the bedroom. They thoroughly enjoyed the stolen moments they shared while Jordan napped or the long pleasurable hours wrapped in each other's arms after their daughter had been tucked into bed for the night.

During the past week, they'd not had any company. Dex had asked his family to stay away to give him and Caitlin time to scale the barriers between them and to adjust to their life together. His family had understood and had honored his request, but he knew he couldn't keep them at bay much longer. He stared down at the letter that had arrived that morning.

Dex left the kitchen and went looking for his wife. He found her as he knew he would, in his study bent over his computer system, entering data into it.

Caitlin had taken on the project of organizing his files. She'd declared with the two of them working on it during their free time they could have the task completed in a couple of days.

Dex had found himself less than enthused with the idea. Unlike her, fiddling around with a computer was not his favorite pastime. Her knowledge of them and her ability to work with them were amazing. He would watch in utter fascination as she effortlessly plowed through stacks and stacks of paperwork, entering them onto the system in a logical way for him to retain and have easy access to information about locations of various drilling sights and oil formations. Although her dedication had been appreciated, he had other ideas on how they could spend their free time.

Suddenly aware she was being watched, Caitlin swiveled the chair around just in time to see Dex enter the room and lock the door behind him. He leaned against the door with his arms folded across his chest, staring at her. His expression was gentle and warm. They continued to regard each other in silence for a minute. Then Dex spoke. “Are you having fun?”

Caitlin smiled. “Sure, I'm having a blast. However, if I remember correctly, this was supposed to be a team effort.”

Dex grinned. “You're doing just fine without me.” He came farther into the room. “This arrived earlier.” He handed her the letter.

Caitlin read it. Her brows furrowed. “Why didn't he just call?”

“I told my family not to bother us.”

“Why? I was wondering why none of them had dropped by. I know how close you all are.”

“I did it for purely selfish reasons. I wanted you and Jordan all to myself for a while. I'm not ready to share the two of you yet,” he said, pulling her up from the chair and into his embrace. “We needed time alone,” he murmured against her throat.

Caitlin arched her body to him when his arms urged her hips against his. “Where's Jordan?” she asked breathlessly.

“She's taking a nap.”

Caitlin's hand traced lightly upon the warm skin of Dex's arm. Her pulse accelerated madly. “It's time for me to take a break.”

Dex's eyes darkened. “I totally agree.”

Caitlin placed her hand against Dex's cheek, touching the lines of his brow and detecting deep concern there. “Dex, is anything wrong?”

He hesitated before replying. “How do you feel about seeing my family again, Caitlin?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I can't avoid them forever. I know because I've hurt you, I'm probably not their favorite person.”

“Don't feel that way. Believe it or not, my family understood what you did.”

His words surprised her. “They did?”

Dex nodded. “They thought you were too young at the time to really know your own heart. They actually accused me of rushing you into a situation you weren't quite ready for. According to my dad, if Christy had been in your place and had left for a summer job and returned less than a month later with a husband, especially one eleven years older, who had plans to take her out of the country, he would have been upset about it.”

He chuckled. “Justin and Clayton, on the other hand, would have been more than upset. I can see them taking the man apart piece by piece. They take their roles of big brothers seriously.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “I have to constantly remind myself you were barely twenty-one when we married. Compared to me, you were a mere child,” he teased.

“I was not,” Caitlin said as a grin spread across her face.

“Yes, you were. You've grown up a lot over the years in more ways than one. I left you a blushing bride and now you're a very mature woman and a wonderful mother.”

Neither said anything else for a few minutes, then Caitlin spoke. “Thanks for your concern regarding your family, but I'll be okay. Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing them again, and I'm especially looking forward to meeting Justin's wife, Lorren.”

Dex pulled Caitlin closer into his arms. “You'll like Lorren. She's a sweetheart and just what Justin needs. He loves her very much.”

Caitlin stirred against Dex as she considered his words. “Lorren's a very lucky woman to have the love of her man.”

Dex tensed at her words. “Caitlin?”

“Yes?”

“I do care for you. You know that, don't you?” Dex's breath was warm against her cheek and he tightened his arms around her.

Caitlin had to close her eyes at the tears that stung them. She shifted slightly and pressed closer to him. Caring wasn't the same thing as loving. She lifted her head and looked up into his eyes. “Yes, I know you care for me.”

Dex leaned down and kissed her. Caitlin's response to him was immediate, it was spontaneous, it was urgent. Their heat was ignited by their passion, their sensual demands unleashed by desire. One kiss led to another and another, each one deeper, more greedy and more intimate than the other.

A smile touched Dex's lips seconds before they sank to the plush carpeting. Within minutes they had removed every stitch of their clothing. Caitlin took Dex's face into her hands. “I'm not protected, Dex.”

Dex gathered her closer to his naked form. His forehead dropped to rest against hers. “Neither am I, baby. Neither am I.”

His hands cupped the sides of her face and when his mouth touched hers it put an end to all conversation. The only sounds echoing in the room were the sounds of their heavy breathing, their moans of delight and their groans of pleasure as they shared total fulfillment.

Dex was driven by a raging need and a desire to communicate physically just how much he wanted and needed her. His mouth became more demanding, his body greedier and his movements harder, fiercer.

Caitlin used her hands to cherish him, she used her mouth to entice him and she used her body to please him. She wanted to prolong what they were sharing, but couldn't.

The first rush of ecstasy touched them simultaneously. Their hold on each other tightened as Dex drove hard inside of Caitlin, filling her completely with his release at the same time she found her own. Tortured cries were rung from their lips as they were overtaken by an all-consuming climactic force that left neither of them protected.

“What do you mean, we were dropped by Remington Oil?” Walker asked, looking at his uncle. “I don't understand.”

“Well, you should understand,” Duncan Malone shouted. “Since it's all your fault. I never should have gone along with your scheme to harass Halston Parker. Now look what's happened. Remington Oil knows everything.”

“But how can they? No one knows of our connection to Remington Oil. How could they have found out?”

“Halston Parker's daughter,” he growled. “That man she's married to used to work for Remington Oil. Somehow he figured out what was going on.”

“But how?”

“I don't know.” Duncan Malone snorted derisively. “All I know is that I got a call from the top brass at Remington Oil who said my services were no longer needed, and I was told why. Do you know what that means? Do you have any idea how much money I'll be losing? They were my biggest client.”

He flung a large hand toward his office door. “I want you out of here, Walker. Maybe with you gone, I'll be able to salvage a little of the good name I used to have. If word gets around about what happened, other companies will stop doing business with me, too. Then I'll lose everything, all because of you.”

Walker saw his chance to one day run Malone Land Developers crumble before his eyes. “Where will I go? What will I do?”

“I don't care,” Duncan Malone thundered. “Just clean out your desk and get out of my sight before I forget we're related. And don't come back.”

Less than an hour later Walker Malone had loaded his belongings in the car. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he drove around town with no particular destination in mind.

When the car came to a stop at a traffic light, he glanced down at the sketch pad in the seat beside him. His stony gaze slid over the paper he'd drawn of the woman who was the cause of all his troubles. His hard-muscled arms and strong hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“You're going to pay, lady. I'll make sure of it.”

Corinthians gave the young woman who opened the door a forced smile. “Ms. Madaris. I'm Corinthians Avery from Remington Oil. May I come in?”

“Yes.” Caitlin moved aside to let Corinthians enter. She then gestured toward the living room. “If you're here to see my husband, Ms. Avery, he's not home. Dex's at a job site and probably won't be back until late tonight.”

“I'm not here to see your husband, Ms. Madaris. I'm here to see you.”

Caitlin looked back at the sharply dressed woman who was following her into the living room. “Me? Why would anyone from Remington Oil want to see me?”

Yes, why indeed?
Corinthians thought as she sat down on the sofa. She'd been so curious to get a chance to see for herself the woman who'd stolen Dex's heart, that she had volunteered for this mission. But whatever prior images she'd had of the woman had faded the moment she'd opened the door. Caitlin Madaris appeared to be a vibrant and friendly person. And she was indeed pretty. No, pretty wasn't a strong enough word. Drop-dead beautiful was better.

Corinthians could immediately see how Dex had fallen in love with her. Even dressed in a pair of cutoff jeans and a T-shirt, there appeared to be a certain softness about her. And she was so young. Corinthians had oftentimes wondered if the seven year difference in her and Dex's ages had been the reason he'd never had a romantic interest in her. Evidently age hadn't been a factor, since the woman he'd eventually married looked to be around twenty-four or twenty-five. That meant there was at least an eleven-to twelve-year difference in their ages. There also seemed to be some sort of strength surrounding her. But the strength did not lessen her femininity. When she walked, she moved like a model or a dancer.

“Can I get you something to drink, Ms. Avery?”

“No thanks, and please call me Corinthians. May I call you Caitlin?”

“Sure. And Corinthians is a pretty name.”

Corinthians settled back in her seat. “Thanks. My father is a minister and couldn't resist naming me after his favorite book in the Bible.”

“Which one, First Corinthians or Second Corinthians?”

Corinthians grinned. “I believe both.”

A smile creased the laugh lines beside Caitlin's mouth and eyes. “My father's favorite book in the Bible was Psalms, especially after my mother's death,” she said. “I believe the scriptures gave him the strength he needed to face each day without my mother. With them he found peace and comfort.”

She also had sought solace in the scriptures, Caitlin thought. While she was pregnant with Jordan, she'd selected a verse out of the Book of First Corinthians. That passage had given her strength each day for the past four years. And even now, being back with Dex, she depended on it even more. She had to believe its words—
Love knows no limit to its endurance, no fading of its hope. It can outlast anything. Love never fails…

“I think I'd like that drink, after all,” Corinthians said, interrupting Caitlin's thoughts. “A cola will be fine if you have one. Then I'd like to explain to you why I'm here.”

Caitlin stood. “All right. I'll be back in a minute.”